After declaring a snow emergency for the city of Laurel at 10 a.m. on Friday, to help clear the streets of parked cars before any snow had accumulated, Laurel Mayor Craig Moe later that day declared a state of civil emergency because of the continuing predictions of hazardous weather.

In a press release, city officials said the civil emergency declaration was "a result of the weather forecast of a potentially catastrophic snow storm predicted over the next three days, Feb. 5, 6 and 7," and that no decision had been made on when to lift the emergency.

The mayor has authority to declare a civil emergency under the City Code, and making the declaration allows the mayor to purchase any supplies and equipment "necessary to protect citizens of the city," officials said in the press release.


During a snow emergency, parking is not allowed on the side of streets where there are even-numbered addresses. According to city spokesman James Collins, before cars parked illegally in snow emergencies are towed, Laurel Police attempt to identify and locate the owners. To find a car that has been towed, call the Laurel Police at the non-emergency number, 301-498-0092.

City officials said employees of the Laurel Emergency Operations Department and Public Works are working around the clock to clear the snow emergency routes. After emergency routes have been taken care of, secondary streets and courts will be cleared, officials said, urging residents to stay at home and not to drive on city streets.

Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson also declared a state of emergency, which went into effect Friday, and the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation has been in full deployment for snow operations since 1 p.m. Friday. Because of the amount of snow, DPW&T staff have been joined by crews and inspectors from other county agencies, including the departments of Environmental Services and Central Services, as well as the Prince George's County Board of Education and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission.   

As with the city of Laurel, county plows clear primary roadways first, followed by secondary and residential roadways. County officials said in a statement that following a storm of this magnitude, it could take crews up to 48 hours or more after the end of the snowfall before they can focus on residential streets.

With the snow stopping and skies clearing up around 5 p.m. Saturday in Laurel, the National Weather Service canceled its winter storm and blizzard warning.

'Everyone needs to step up and help'

Saturday afternoon, former City Councilman Rick Wilson, who writes an Old Town blog and has been taking photos of the storm, spotted the mayor plowing the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department's driveway in a small city truck.

Wilson said the mayor told him that Prince George's County will plow Laurel's fire station, but "in a storm like this, everybody needs to step up to help. It's important that the fire trucks and ambulance can get out of the station." Read more at Laurel Connections, http://conexshuns.blogspot.com/2010/02/snow-stories.html

Laurel's snow deepest in county

The National Weather Service's official snow accumulation measurements included 32.2 inches of snow in Laurel, the most of any total reported for Prince George's County. NWS measurement for Russett was 32.9 inches.

Some areas of Howard County were blanketed with 36 inches of snow, with North Laurel and Savage getting 33 inches.

Unofficial measurements taken in Laurel before the snow stopped Saturday afternoon included 26 inches at 2 p.m. in Old Town, and 20-24 inches in South Laurel.

This story has been updated.

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